Places to live near Portsmouth?
Discussion
Hi folks,
We're considering a move to the South Coast (around the Portsmouth / Southampton area) as the wife's job is based near Fareham (she's currently working offsite with weekly visits but it's not a long term option).
I'm not familiar with the area myself, although the wife has mentioned little areas north of Portsmouth (Bishops Waltham, Wickham, Botley) or maybe a bit further north, such as Winchester as being worthwhile options.
Are we looking in the right sort of areas? Are there any hidden gems or places to avoid? Any help much appreciated
We're considering a move to the South Coast (around the Portsmouth / Southampton area) as the wife's job is based near Fareham (she's currently working offsite with weekly visits but it's not a long term option).
I'm not familiar with the area myself, although the wife has mentioned little areas north of Portsmouth (Bishops Waltham, Wickham, Botley) or maybe a bit further north, such as Winchester as being worthwhile options.
Are we looking in the right sort of areas? Are there any hidden gems or places to avoid? Any help much appreciated
Prepare for a price shock compared to Wales.
Botley is just on the edge of Hedge End, still a little pricey I think? under 10 minutes from M27 J7.
Bishops Waltham/Wickham/Twyford and the like will be more expensive.
Winchester is commuter belt for London and has a reputation for being expensive.
Whiteley is a "new town" sprawling estate, a while ago it was the place to move to, but I think the attraction has worn off a bit. Might be not your cup of tea if you are looking for rural.
I'm not really sure there are any super posh areas, just expensive and more expensive. there are the usual dives - but you'll spot those by driving past/in them.
Botley is just on the edge of Hedge End, still a little pricey I think? under 10 minutes from M27 J7.
Bishops Waltham/Wickham/Twyford and the like will be more expensive.
Winchester is commuter belt for London and has a reputation for being expensive.
Whiteley is a "new town" sprawling estate, a while ago it was the place to move to, but I think the attraction has worn off a bit. Might be not your cup of tea if you are looking for rural.
I'm not really sure there are any super posh areas, just expensive and more expensive. there are the usual dives - but you'll spot those by driving past/in them.
Crafty_ said:
Whiteley is a "new town" sprawling estate, a while ago it was the place to move to, but I think the attraction has worn off a bit. Might be not your cup of tea if you are looking for rural.
Really??? I live in whiteley and it's a hell of a lot more rural than the other places you have mentioned. Sprawling? really? you make it sound like Brixton. It's a really nice place to live. We have fields, woods the river hamble all within a few minutes walk. Didn't mean to cause offence! To quote a phrase "I remember this when it was all just fields"
Yeah its not inner city urban, but its not like living out at somewhere between the coast and Winchester.
I understand that there is lots of further development planned/proposed but given the economic situation the developers are holding off.
Yeah its not inner city urban, but its not like living out at somewhere between the coast and Winchester.
I understand that there is lots of further development planned/proposed but given the economic situation the developers are holding off.
Thanks Crafty.
Yeah, house prices are a little pricey, although not that much more than half decent areas here in Cardiff. Budget is likely to be around £350k.
I'd just be looking for a pleasant house in a nice, safe, well regarded area. Nothing posh, but a nice place to live and bring up a family.
As we currently live just a few miles from a city centre, I think anywhere too rural / quiet would quickly get frustrating and boring. Ideally, I'd be looking for somewhere with reasonable access to a town (not necessarily Portsmouth / Southampton). More research required.
Thanks for the pointers.
Yeah, house prices are a little pricey, although not that much more than half decent areas here in Cardiff. Budget is likely to be around £350k.
I'd just be looking for a pleasant house in a nice, safe, well regarded area. Nothing posh, but a nice place to live and bring up a family.
As we currently live just a few miles from a city centre, I think anywhere too rural / quiet would quickly get frustrating and boring. Ideally, I'd be looking for somewhere with reasonable access to a town (not necessarily Portsmouth / Southampton). More research required.
Thanks for the pointers.
Crafty_ said:
Didn't mean to cause offence! To quote a phrase "I remember this when it was all just fields"
Yeah its not inner city urban, but its not like living out at somewhere between the coast and Winchester.
I understand that there is lots of further development planned/proposed but given the economic situation the developers are holding off.
Im not offended at all, as I live in Whiteley for now, it's not gonna be forever. But the facts you stated were quite inaccurate. I would say Winchester a lovely place as it is, is a lot less rural, depending where you live obviously. Your statement that the developers are holding off is very inaccurate also, it is full steam ahead (Unfortunately). Yeah its not inner city urban, but its not like living out at somewhere between the coast and Winchester.
I understand that there is lots of further development planned/proposed but given the economic situation the developers are holding off.
There are lots of decent areas all around the Southampton / Portsmouth area. I have recently moved out of the depth of Southsea which in itself was a nice place to be, to Titchfield. Titchfield is right inbetween the two cities and you have good access to the beach at Hill Head the Hamble river at Warsash. Any of the areas around Park Gate, Titchfield, Warsash are pretty nice.
As for areas to avoid I think you will spot them in a second if you have a drive around. Feel free to post any links to places your considering and I will give you an opinion on the areas. I have good knowledge of the county as a whole espcially the bad bits!!
As for areas to avoid I think you will spot them in a second if you have a drive around. Feel free to post any links to places your considering and I will give you an opinion on the areas. I have good knowledge of the county as a whole espcially the bad bits!!
Other side of Portsmouth is Hayling Island. Quiet semi-rural place where very little happens. So much so they have either closed or made part time the Police Station 
People will talk about getting on and off especially in the summer but it's nowhere as bad as it used to be. I'd say Fareham in the morning rush would be about 30 mins.
People will talk about getting on and off especially in the summer but it's nowhere as bad as it used to be. I'd say Fareham in the morning rush would be about 30 mins.
Most of the places that you have proposed are more Southampton/Winchester than Portsmouth - no bad thing IMHO.
One of the Q's I would ask is what type of property do you want to live in? You would be hard pressed to find a newish build in Botley, whereas the opposite can be said of Whiteley.
I've lived in Locks Heath, Sarisbury Green, Whiteley and Hedge End (and Southampton city centre). Of those I would say Sarisbury is the best of the lot. It really does depend on an individuals requirements. Whiteley was good value for money but a little soulless as a lot of new build towns are. The flip side of that is that its transport link by road is excellent and getting to Fareham would be easiest out of anywhere. Rail links aren't quite so great via Park Gate as parking there isn't brilliant. Half of Whiteley suffers from a PO postcode too
Hedge End again has good road links (and Botley only a mile further down the road so similar would apply). Hedge End is more new build Bovis estates in contrast to Botley's oldie worldie feel. Both Hedge End and Botley also benefit from railway stations. There are quite a few London commuters from Hedge End and I did that trek for a while.
Titchfield is quite pleasant and certainly has more of a community. That being said, there are a surprising number of 'sorts' in Titchfield and its not all pleasant country types. In general though, avoid the Coach and Horses and there are some great pubs and a nice vibe to the place. Very close to Fareham by car too. I would certainly be specific about where I looked at in Titchfield though as a few estates that border aren't so nice.
I'd certainly look at Wickham. Lovely square, nice pubs and feel to the place. Easy drive into Fareham.
Bishops Waltham pleasant enough, and perhaps more of a mix of old and new as the town sprawled a little. Have known of more trouble in BW than in some of the surrounding areas. I'd also add Swanmore to your list if you wanted a bit more of the quiet life.
I guess it would be useful to know a bit more about what you are looking for. New/old build? Detached? With a budget of £350k what do you hope to achieve as that will be a limiting factor. Restaurants/pubs within walking distance? Commute time to Fareham? Kids? Schools? Distance to a city for eating/drinking out?
One of the Q's I would ask is what type of property do you want to live in? You would be hard pressed to find a newish build in Botley, whereas the opposite can be said of Whiteley.
I've lived in Locks Heath, Sarisbury Green, Whiteley and Hedge End (and Southampton city centre). Of those I would say Sarisbury is the best of the lot. It really does depend on an individuals requirements. Whiteley was good value for money but a little soulless as a lot of new build towns are. The flip side of that is that its transport link by road is excellent and getting to Fareham would be easiest out of anywhere. Rail links aren't quite so great via Park Gate as parking there isn't brilliant. Half of Whiteley suffers from a PO postcode too
Hedge End again has good road links (and Botley only a mile further down the road so similar would apply). Hedge End is more new build Bovis estates in contrast to Botley's oldie worldie feel. Both Hedge End and Botley also benefit from railway stations. There are quite a few London commuters from Hedge End and I did that trek for a while.
Titchfield is quite pleasant and certainly has more of a community. That being said, there are a surprising number of 'sorts' in Titchfield and its not all pleasant country types. In general though, avoid the Coach and Horses and there are some great pubs and a nice vibe to the place. Very close to Fareham by car too. I would certainly be specific about where I looked at in Titchfield though as a few estates that border aren't so nice.
I'd certainly look at Wickham. Lovely square, nice pubs and feel to the place. Easy drive into Fareham.
Bishops Waltham pleasant enough, and perhaps more of a mix of old and new as the town sprawled a little. Have known of more trouble in BW than in some of the surrounding areas. I'd also add Swanmore to your list if you wanted a bit more of the quiet life.
I guess it would be useful to know a bit more about what you are looking for. New/old build? Detached? With a budget of £350k what do you hope to achieve as that will be a limiting factor. Restaurants/pubs within walking distance? Commute time to Fareham? Kids? Schools? Distance to a city for eating/drinking out?
Shnozz said:
Most of the places that you have proposed are more Southampton/Winchester than Portsmouth - no bad thing IMHO.
One of the Q's I would ask is what type of property do you want to live in? You would be hard pressed to find a newish build in Botley, whereas the opposite can be said of Whiteley.
I've lived in Locks Heath, Sarisbury Green, Whiteley and Hedge End (and Southampton city centre). Of those I would say Sarisbury is the best of the lot. It really does depend on an individuals requirements. Whiteley was good value for money but a little soulless as a lot of new build towns are. The flip side of that is that its transport link by road is excellent and getting to Fareham would be easiest out of anywhere. Rail links aren't quite so great via Park Gate as parking there isn't brilliant. Half of Whiteley suffers from a PO postcode too
Hedge End again has good road links (and Botley only a mile further down the road so similar would apply). Hedge End is more new build Bovis estates in contrast to Botley's oldie worldie feel. Both Hedge End and Botley also benefit from railway stations. There are quite a few London commuters from Hedge End and I did that trek for a while.
Titchfield is quite pleasant and certainly has more of a community. That being said, there are a surprising number of 'sorts' in Titchfield and its not all pleasant country types. In general though, avoid the Coach and Horses and there are some great pubs and a nice vibe to the place. Very close to Fareham by car too. I would certainly be specific about where I looked at in Titchfield though as a few estates that border aren't so nice.
I'd certainly look at Wickham. Lovely square, nice pubs and feel to the place. Easy drive into Fareham.
Bishops Waltham pleasant enough, and perhaps more of a mix of old and new as the town sprawled a little. Have known of more trouble in BW than in some of the surrounding areas. I'd also add Swanmore to your list if you wanted a bit more of the quiet life.
I guess it would be useful to know a bit more about what you are looking for. New/old build? Detached? With a budget of £350k what do you hope to achieve as that will be a limiting factor. Restaurants/pubs within walking distance? Commute time to Fareham? Kids? Schools? Distance to a city for eating/drinking out?
Thanks for taking the time to type all that Shnozz, very helpful.One of the Q's I would ask is what type of property do you want to live in? You would be hard pressed to find a newish build in Botley, whereas the opposite can be said of Whiteley.
I've lived in Locks Heath, Sarisbury Green, Whiteley and Hedge End (and Southampton city centre). Of those I would say Sarisbury is the best of the lot. It really does depend on an individuals requirements. Whiteley was good value for money but a little soulless as a lot of new build towns are. The flip side of that is that its transport link by road is excellent and getting to Fareham would be easiest out of anywhere. Rail links aren't quite so great via Park Gate as parking there isn't brilliant. Half of Whiteley suffers from a PO postcode too
Hedge End again has good road links (and Botley only a mile further down the road so similar would apply). Hedge End is more new build Bovis estates in contrast to Botley's oldie worldie feel. Both Hedge End and Botley also benefit from railway stations. There are quite a few London commuters from Hedge End and I did that trek for a while.
Titchfield is quite pleasant and certainly has more of a community. That being said, there are a surprising number of 'sorts' in Titchfield and its not all pleasant country types. In general though, avoid the Coach and Horses and there are some great pubs and a nice vibe to the place. Very close to Fareham by car too. I would certainly be specific about where I looked at in Titchfield though as a few estates that border aren't so nice.
I'd certainly look at Wickham. Lovely square, nice pubs and feel to the place. Easy drive into Fareham.
Bishops Waltham pleasant enough, and perhaps more of a mix of old and new as the town sprawled a little. Have known of more trouble in BW than in some of the surrounding areas. I'd also add Swanmore to your list if you wanted a bit more of the quiet life.
I guess it would be useful to know a bit more about what you are looking for. New/old build? Detached? With a budget of £350k what do you hope to achieve as that will be a limiting factor. Restaurants/pubs within walking distance? Commute time to Fareham? Kids? Schools? Distance to a city for eating/drinking out?
A bit more background / detail….
I'm trying to keep a reasonably open mind regarding houses. However, we'll likely be looking at fairly old (i.e. early 1900's - we currently live in a fairly spacious 1930's semi, which will be a shame to leave behind) or quite new (i.e. less than 10 years old). Perhaps that sounds a little strange. Well, the heart would always choose the older characterful properties, however, we'd be increasing our mortgage quite a bit and entering a time in our lives where we could probably do without the worry and expensive of upkeep / maintenance on an older property. A newish house may lack the character, but is perhaps the safer option. I have a general dislike of 60's, 70's and 80's built estates.
Detached would be preferable of course (and much more likely if going for a newer build) but a well built i.e. older semi certainly wouldn't be dismissed. Definitely a house (i.e. no apartments) and not a bungalow.
We currently live in quite a busy area and, whilst its great to have shops, pubs, facilities, transport links etc, I actually find it a bit too busy and overbearing at times. Conversely, I don't want to live somewhere where I have no choice but to jump in the car if I need so much as a loaf of bread. My ideal would be a pleasant, relatively quiet area but with local amenities (definitely a pub or two) and decent transport links. I certainly don't want to be in the middle of nowhere (only in my 30's).
Commute to Fareham ideally 30mins or less by car. Similar time / distance to more life (Southampton?).
We've no kids yet but this will be the house where we start a family (hopefully soon). Of course it would be nice to live in a relatively safe, child friendly area with some good schools, although I don't see the need at this stage to pay for the privilege of highly regarded secondary schools (e.g. Chandlers Ford), when that'll be more than a decade away.
Oh, and since posting the wife has indicated that she's not keen on Whiteley (although I'd prefer to keep our options open at this stage).
If any of that lot negates any of your previous suggestions, it would be nice to know.
Thanks again.
If I had a choice of any area up to your budget around this area, I would (and did!) chose Grange Park in Hedge End. I have owned a few houses around the Southampton area and can honestly say I have never, ever been happier or more content than living where we are now. The area has 3 nice local pubs within a 15 minute walk, all the shops you need for everyday (far enough away not to be a problem, but close enough to be handy), parks, woodland and lakes etc, fantastic community, some of the top schools in the county (if that's your thing). Just everything really! To put it in perspective, we've lived here for just over 2 years now and bought the place as a 'doer-upper' with a view to just living here for 12 months whilst improving it, but we have now taken a 5 year mortgage because we do not want to move!
Plus we could always use some more PHer's in the area (think there's quite a few here?)!!
Here's a couple to give you an idea of what you can get. It will never be enormous or palacial and will be a newish build (1995-on) so are not the most spacious, but I cannot rate this area highly enough to anyone, I love it!!
Nice road, parking can be a bit of a b
h at school chucking out time as there's no parking nearer to the school (~1/4 mile away):
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
This is about 4 doors down from me, but I've hear the neighbour's a....
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Same road as the first one, but I think it's a bit closer to the main thoroughfare (Maunsell Way).
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
If you are interested in anywhere around this area, speak to a guy called Nathan at Richmonds estate agents (I am in no way connected!). He and his team are the only genuine estate agents that I have ever met, they all live in the area and are genuinely interested in you - I saw him in the local about 12 months after we'd bought the place and he reeled off a list of things that I'd told him I wanted to do to the house, remembered mine and my wifes name and exactly which house we'd bought!
Good luck with the move when you make it anyway!
ETA - Just read the other posts above. The commute to Fareham would be about 20-30 minutes in the car as it's 5 minutes from M27 wherever you are in Hedge End. Hedge End station goes straight down to Pompey and I think (although not sure) that it stops in Fareham on the way down, so commute would be about 15/20 mins. A train ticket from Hedge End to Winchester (probably twice the distance than H.E to Fareham) was £6 odd return last time I did it, so would probably cost about the same for H.E to Fareham.
Plus we could always use some more PHer's in the area (think there's quite a few here?)!!
Here's a couple to give you an idea of what you can get. It will never be enormous or palacial and will be a newish build (1995-on) so are not the most spacious, but I cannot rate this area highly enough to anyone, I love it!!
Nice road, parking can be a bit of a b
h at school chucking out time as there's no parking nearer to the school (~1/4 mile away):http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
This is about 4 doors down from me, but I've hear the neighbour's a
....http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Same road as the first one, but I think it's a bit closer to the main thoroughfare (Maunsell Way).
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
If you are interested in anywhere around this area, speak to a guy called Nathan at Richmonds estate agents (I am in no way connected!). He and his team are the only genuine estate agents that I have ever met, they all live in the area and are genuinely interested in you - I saw him in the local about 12 months after we'd bought the place and he reeled off a list of things that I'd told him I wanted to do to the house, remembered mine and my wifes name and exactly which house we'd bought!
Good luck with the move when you make it anyway!
ETA - Just read the other posts above. The commute to Fareham would be about 20-30 minutes in the car as it's 5 minutes from M27 wherever you are in Hedge End. Hedge End station goes straight down to Pompey and I think (although not sure) that it stops in Fareham on the way down, so commute would be about 15/20 mins. A train ticket from Hedge End to Winchester (probably twice the distance than H.E to Fareham) was £6 odd return last time I did it, so would probably cost about the same for H.E to Fareham.
Edited by Jonboy_t on Tuesday 14th February 21:48
Jonboy_t said:
If I had a choice of any area up to your budget around this area, I would (and did!) chose Grange Park in Hedge End. I have owned a few houses around the Southampton area and can honestly say I have never, ever been happier or more content than living where we are now. The area has 3 nice local pubs within a 15 minute walk, all the shops you need for everyday (far enough away not to be a problem, but close enough to be handy), parks, woodland and lakes etc, fantastic community, some of the top schools in the county (if that's your thing). Just everything really! To put it in perspective, we've lived here for just over 2 years now and bought the place as a 'doer-upper' with a view to just living here for 12 months whilst improving it, but we have now taken a 5 year mortgage because we do not want to move!
Plus we could always use some more PHer's in the area (think there's quite a few here?)!!
Here's a couple to give you an idea of what you can get. It will never be enormous or palacial and will be a newish build (1995-on) so are not the most spacious, but I cannot rate this area highly enough to anyone, I love it!!
Nice road, parking can be a bit of a bh at school chucking out time as there's no parking nearer to the school (~1/4 mile away):
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
This is about 4 doors down from me, but I've hear the neighbour's a....
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Same road as the first one, but I think it's a bit closer to the main thoroughfare (Maunsell Way).
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
If you are interested in anywhere around this area, speak to a guy called Nathan at Richmonds estate agents (I am in no way connected!). He and his team are the only genuine estate agents that I have ever met, they all live in the area and are genuinely interested in you - I saw him in the local about 12 months after we'd bought the place and he reeled off a list of things that I'd told him I wanted to do to the house, remembered mine and my wifes name and exactly which house we'd bought!
Good luck with the move when you make it anyway!
ETA - Just read the other posts above. The commute to Fareham would be about 20-30 minutes in the car as it's 5 minutes from M27 wherever you are in Hedge End. Hedge End station goes straight down to Pompey and I think (although not sure) that it stops in Fareham on the way down, so commute would be about 15/20 mins. A train ticket from Hedge End to Winchester (probably twice the distance than H.E to Fareham) was £6 odd return last time I did it, so would probably cost about the same for H.E to Fareham.
Thanks very much Jonboy, that's top info.Plus we could always use some more PHer's in the area (think there's quite a few here?)!!
Here's a couple to give you an idea of what you can get. It will never be enormous or palacial and will be a newish build (1995-on) so are not the most spacious, but I cannot rate this area highly enough to anyone, I love it!!
Nice road, parking can be a bit of a b
h at school chucking out time as there's no parking nearer to the school (~1/4 mile away):http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
This is about 4 doors down from me, but I've hear the neighbour's a
....http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Same road as the first one, but I think it's a bit closer to the main thoroughfare (Maunsell Way).
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
If you are interested in anywhere around this area, speak to a guy called Nathan at Richmonds estate agents (I am in no way connected!). He and his team are the only genuine estate agents that I have ever met, they all live in the area and are genuinely interested in you - I saw him in the local about 12 months after we'd bought the place and he reeled off a list of things that I'd told him I wanted to do to the house, remembered mine and my wifes name and exactly which house we'd bought!
Good luck with the move when you make it anyway!
ETA - Just read the other posts above. The commute to Fareham would be about 20-30 minutes in the car as it's 5 minutes from M27 wherever you are in Hedge End. Hedge End station goes straight down to Pompey and I think (although not sure) that it stops in Fareham on the way down, so commute would be about 15/20 mins. A train ticket from Hedge End to Winchester (probably twice the distance than H.E to Fareham) was £6 odd return last time I did it, so would probably cost about the same for H.E to Fareham.
Edited by Jonboy_t on Tuesday 14th February 21:48
You're a helpful, friendly bunch down that neck of the woods aren't you?!
Heathwood said:
Thanks for taking the time to type all that Shnozz, very helpful.
A bit more background / detail….
I'm trying to keep a reasonably open mind regarding houses. However, we'll likely be looking at fairly old (i.e. early 1900's - we currently live in a fairly spacious 1930's semi, which will be a shame to leave behind) or quite new (i.e. less than 10 years old). Perhaps that sounds a little strange. Well, the heart would always choose the older characterful properties, however, we'd be increasing our mortgage quite a bit and entering a time in our lives where we could probably do without the worry and expensive of upkeep / maintenance on an older property. A newish house may lack the character, but is perhaps the safer option. I have a general dislike of 60's, 70's and 80's built estates.
Detached would be preferable of course (and much more likely if going for a newer build) but a well built i.e. older semi certainly wouldn't be dismissed. Definitely a house (i.e. no apartments) and not a bungalow.
We currently live in quite a busy area and, whilst its great to have shops, pubs, facilities, transport links etc, I actually find it a bit too busy and overbearing at times. Conversely, I don't want to live somewhere where I have no choice but to jump in the car if I need so much as a loaf of bread. My ideal would be a pleasant, relatively quiet area but with local amenities (definitely a pub or two) and decent transport links. I certainly don't want to be in the middle of nowhere (only in my 30's).
Commute to Fareham ideally 30mins or less by car. Similar time / distance to more life (Southampton?).
We've no kids yet but this will be the house where we start a family (hopefully soon). Of course it would be nice to live in a relatively safe, child friendly area with some good schools, although I don't see the need at this stage to pay for the privilege of highly regarded secondary schools (e.g. Chandlers Ford), when that'll be more than a decade away.
Oh, and since posting the wife has indicated that she's not keen on Whiteley (although I'd prefer to keep our options open at this stage).
If any of that lot negates any of your previous suggestions, it would be nice to know.
Thanks again.
Hedge End largely consists of 3 parts. The older 60's/70's 'central' town, and 2 newbuild estates, Grange Park being the larger. It has the station but it is a mid-late 80's built estate. You pay a small premium for the school catchment but negligible in contrast to Chandlers Ford as you have already identified. A bit more background / detail….
I'm trying to keep a reasonably open mind regarding houses. However, we'll likely be looking at fairly old (i.e. early 1900's - we currently live in a fairly spacious 1930's semi, which will be a shame to leave behind) or quite new (i.e. less than 10 years old). Perhaps that sounds a little strange. Well, the heart would always choose the older characterful properties, however, we'd be increasing our mortgage quite a bit and entering a time in our lives where we could probably do without the worry and expensive of upkeep / maintenance on an older property. A newish house may lack the character, but is perhaps the safer option. I have a general dislike of 60's, 70's and 80's built estates.
Detached would be preferable of course (and much more likely if going for a newer build) but a well built i.e. older semi certainly wouldn't be dismissed. Definitely a house (i.e. no apartments) and not a bungalow.
We currently live in quite a busy area and, whilst its great to have shops, pubs, facilities, transport links etc, I actually find it a bit too busy and overbearing at times. Conversely, I don't want to live somewhere where I have no choice but to jump in the car if I need so much as a loaf of bread. My ideal would be a pleasant, relatively quiet area but with local amenities (definitely a pub or two) and decent transport links. I certainly don't want to be in the middle of nowhere (only in my 30's).
Commute to Fareham ideally 30mins or less by car. Similar time / distance to more life (Southampton?).
We've no kids yet but this will be the house where we start a family (hopefully soon). Of course it would be nice to live in a relatively safe, child friendly area with some good schools, although I don't see the need at this stage to pay for the privilege of highly regarded secondary schools (e.g. Chandlers Ford), when that'll be more than a decade away.
Oh, and since posting the wife has indicated that she's not keen on Whiteley (although I'd prefer to keep our options open at this stage).
If any of that lot negates any of your previous suggestions, it would be nice to know.
Thanks again.
Having lived there for 5 years I would disagree that the pubs are up to much to be honest. The Shamblehurst Barn used to be ok at best but now is a bit chav infested. It is the only pub in Grange Park so the other Hedge End pubs are a bit of a hike in the old town centre and they aren't really worth the trouble anyway. There are some nicer pubs out towards Durley (also might be worth a look if you want quaint/older property) which are a (long) walk from Grange Park. I lived the other side of Grange Park so it was quite a hike for me.
Grange Park has a shop (which was at the end of my old road) and the 1 pub. The station also adds to the benefits, although the line it is on is indirect for Southampton annoyingly.
Re nightlife, it's a relatively quiet area despite being between 2 cities. Taxis are also expensive so you'll pay £20 - £25 (possibly more these days) each way to Soton and more to Portsmouth for a night out. I was early-mid 20s when I bought my place there so that was a frustration. That said, Hedge End is about the closest of the places discussed in terms of accessing Southampton for a night out. Hedge End station is on the right line for a night out in Winchester mind, albeit the trains dont run very late (mind you, neither does Winchester!).
I think you need to have a little drive around. It sounds as though you have a good idea of what you want and its very easy to group together 2 distinct types in that neck of the woods.
Newbuild/2.4 children/edge of town Bovis towns - 'Newer' hedge end/whiteley/large swathes of Park Gate/large areas of Chandlers Ford
Older/Quieter/Quainter/suburban blissville - Swanmore/Durley/Corhampton/Botley/Curdridge
From the vibe I pick up I think somewhere like Sarisbury Green may be a little too rural, and Hedge End/Park Gate a little too 'new'. You could do worse than to take a look at Wickham/Bishops Waltham for a decent sense of community and enough going on that you aren't limited to one old-boys pub but retain the ruralness with enough convenience. You'll also be bordering on the A32, for a county that lacks a whole lot of decent PH roads, the A32 and A272 are the pick of the bunch
Jonboy_t said:
Plus we could always use some more PHer's in the area (think there's quite a few here?)!!
Jonboy, Geoff (Lowe?) is a PHer and in Grange Park. Runs a vinyl graphics company and has had some nice cars. Fezza 308, VX220 (that suffered a nasty end) and a few other cars from memory. Took a diesel Seat on a Goodwood trackday I attended after he had pranged the VX and showed he could pedal a car!Jacko (forget his username) was an old drinking buddy of mine in the Barn and had a gorgeous classic Europa and a Lotus 340R that he tracked. He moved to Durley last I heard though.
Another guy on GP had a Caterham that was in the Academy series that he would tow around.
Another GP resident who became a good mate of mine was Cuzza, who used to live in Adams Close. He emigrated to Toronto a few years ago (to get away from me).
I lived off Charterhouse Way and used to have regular PH gatherings at my old place which would upset the neighbours. It also turned into being the crash mat for the night before Le Mans trips because of my proximity to Portsmouth for the ferry. Most we have managed outside my old gaff for the pre-Le Mans BBQ was 6 TVR's, an Audi RS6, 2 x Ferraris, a Golf R32, a 911 and a Caterham. My neighbours were pleased to see me leave.
I have lived in Havant, Waterlooville and Horndean all my life. Certain parts of Havant (Denvilles area) would be sutiable for your price range and would be about a 15mins-20mins commute to Fareham on the A27. Near Havant is Emsworth, that is a nice little town on the coast, I often go for a walk around the Mill Pond down there. Then there is Rowlands Castle which is also quite a nice area and there are some pretty big houses around there. In Waterlooville anywhere in the Tempest Estate is quite nice, 3-5 bed houses with gardens/garages or most roads off the London Road (Highfield Ave, Billet Ave etc). Then further along from there is Denmead,Horndean, Cathrington and Clanfield. All are pretty nice areas, just stay out of Leigh Park, Stakes Hill, Weacock Farm and Paulsgrove and you should have no problems.
Waterlooville and Havant have good transport links, Havant has a bus and train station, Waterlooville just has the buses. However its only about a 15min drive to Portsmouth and Chichester and about 30mins to Southampton. Neither place is full of nightlife, however they do have several restuarants and many pubs dotted around the area so there is no shortage of eating places. I love living in this part of the country, about 1hr to drive to London and Brighton and only 15mins from the coast. Hayling beach is a lovely place to visit in the summer. Also have plenty of woods and field to wander around. Just up the A3 is Butser Hill, Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Heath Pond in Petersfield and many other peices of woodland that is free for wandering. My old house backs on the Queens Inclosure, it was lovely being able to walk out the back garden into the woods.
Waterlooville and Havant have good transport links, Havant has a bus and train station, Waterlooville just has the buses. However its only about a 15min drive to Portsmouth and Chichester and about 30mins to Southampton. Neither place is full of nightlife, however they do have several restuarants and many pubs dotted around the area so there is no shortage of eating places. I love living in this part of the country, about 1hr to drive to London and Brighton and only 15mins from the coast. Hayling beach is a lovely place to visit in the summer. Also have plenty of woods and field to wander around. Just up the A3 is Butser Hill, Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Heath Pond in Petersfield and many other peices of woodland that is free for wandering. My old house backs on the Queens Inclosure, it was lovely being able to walk out the back garden into the woods.
Edited by MaxMX5 on Wednesday 15th February 09:49
Shnozz said:
Having lived there for 5 years I would disagree that the pubs are up to much to be honest. The Shamblehurst Barn used to be ok at best but now is a bit chav infested. It is the only pub in Grange Park so the other Hedge End pubs are a bit of a hike in the old town centre and they aren't really worth the trouble anyway. There are some nicer pubs out towards Durley (also might be worth a look if you want quaint/older property) which are a (long) walk from Grange Park. I lived the other side of Grange Park so it was quite a hike for me.
Grange Park has a shop (which was at the end of my old road) and the 1 pub. The station also adds to the benefits, although the line it is on is indirect for Southampton annoyingly.
Re nightlife, it's a relatively quiet area despite being between 2 cities. Taxis are also expensive so you'll pay £20 - £25 (possibly more these days) each way to Soton and more to Portsmouth for a night out. I was early-mid 20s when I bought my place there so that was a frustration. That said, Hedge End is about the closest of the places discussed in terms of accessing Southampton for a night out. Hedge End station is on the right line for a night out in Winchester mind, albeit the trains dont run very late (mind you, neither does Winchester!).
The Barn seems to go through waves of clientelle. It went a bit chavvy a while back (solely due to bad management IMO) but a new guy took over about 12 months ago and it's back to being a nice local again. The Brigadeer Gerrard is pretty local (15/20 mins walk) and we recently 'discovered' the Southampton Arms too. There's a little cutway through the woods on tollbar way that gets you there in no time and it's not a bad little place - amazing food!Grange Park has a shop (which was at the end of my old road) and the 1 pub. The station also adds to the benefits, although the line it is on is indirect for Southampton annoyingly.
Re nightlife, it's a relatively quiet area despite being between 2 cities. Taxis are also expensive so you'll pay £20 - £25 (possibly more these days) each way to Soton and more to Portsmouth for a night out. I was early-mid 20s when I bought my place there so that was a frustration. That said, Hedge End is about the closest of the places discussed in terms of accessing Southampton for a night out. Hedge End station is on the right line for a night out in Winchester mind, albeit the trains dont run very late (mind you, neither does Winchester!).
Definitely do agree about the getting into town for a night out part though. I don't tend to do that anymore due to not being partial to fighting and being stabbed by teenagers, but back in the day (when it were nowt but fields) it would have been a good £25-£30 in a taxi. Winchester is a nice night out for a quiet one, we've been there for dinner and a couple of pints quite a few times and it's a nice place to go, although the last train back is about 11-ish iirc.
There's a relatively new development (perhaps 80's?) in Segensworth that may be worth a look too. Can't for the life of me think what the area is called, but it's about 5 minutes from the m-way and probably 10-15 minutes from Fareham in the car. I've never been in any of the houses, but they look like the Whitely/Hedge End kind of build, so may be a little characterless if that's what you're after. I do recall seeing a Countach in one driveway and a 360 Spider in another though, so there might be other people on here that are more in the know about that area!
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